Vestry Election
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2024
Election Information
Voter Eligibility
be at least 16 years old
be a baptized member of St. Paul’s
be a member for at least the last 30 days
participate in worship at least three times a year
be part of a household that has made a financial commitment to St. Paul’s or that cannot afford to make a commitment. (You can make your 2025 commitment here.)
Vestry members rolling off this year
Elizabeth Rosen
Julie Chambers
Hannah Clark
Kristin Payne
Vestry members continuing to serve
Karen Hodges
Mandy Kelly
Mac Mayfield
Jim Norys
Mary Ellen Hartford
Eileen Kelley
Justin Sneed
James Spahlinger
Vestry Candidates
VESTRY CLASS OF 2028
Richard Billingsley
I was born in El Dorado Arkansas and raised in Arkansas. My Christian background is Southern Baptist on my Father’s side and Assembly of God on my Mother’s side of the family. My grandfather, John Raymond Rowland and my grandmother Marie Elizabeth Rowland were licensed ministers in the AG church. Female pastors are not new to me! When I was in my late teens I saw the rightward direction of American Christianity and I left the Church. I became an atheist (a nice one), then in my mature adult years I began a long slow path back to Christianity. I looked around for a church I felt comfortable in. I tried house churches, a Gnostic Church (two of them and was kicked out of one! I am a heretic among the heretics), a liberal civil rights Baptist church, and a few others. I feel that I was led to St Paul’s here in Fayetteville. St Paul’s is a blessing in my life. I am contributing to our ministry of creation care as a community organizer around advancing mass transit, and as a member various rail passenger groups. I look forward to contributing to St Paul’s other ministries and finding new ways to get involved here.
AK Harrod
My name is AK Harrod, and I am honored to have been nominated to serve in a position on the vestry of St. Paul’s. I have been an active member of our congregation for 3 years, and during that time, I have found deep fulfillment in serving alongside fellow parishioners and participating in the spiritual life of our community. I have been a part of church activities my entire life, including Choir, Music, Youth Ministry, Stewardship of Grounds and Building, Community Outreach, and Vestry.
My life of working the land, serving the public, and caring for humans and animals will help guide me in serving my church. I want to embody and live the values and mission of St. Paul’s, and serving on the vestry is the next step to realizing that goal and calling for my life.
I am involved in various ministries and initiatives at St. Paul’s, such as Acolyte, Q+, and Community Outreach.
If elected, I look forward to working together with our clergy, vestry, and the congregation to discern God’s will for our church, steward our resources wisely, and nurture the faith of all who call St. Paul’s their spiritual home. I would be grateful for your support and the opportunity to serve our beloved church.
David Jolliffe
Having grown up in the Methodist Church, I was drawn to the Anglican communion while studying abroad in 1972. I became an Episcopal chorister in 1975, and I was confirmed by the Right Reverend Robert Atkinson, Bishop of West Virginia (my native state), in 1980. My wife Gwynne Gertz and I moved to Fayetteville in 2005 and were quickly drawn to the mission of St. Paul’s to “walk the walk” in support of social justice. During the pandemic, Gwynne and I twice weekly delivered sack lunches, prepared by our community meals, to residents of a “safe camp” near Seven Hills.
At St. Paul’s I sing in the choir and serve as a Lay Eucharistic Minister. For several years, I was chair of the Tippy McMichael Committee and coordinator of the morning reflections project, to which I am still a regular contributor. Recently, I have begun writing for the newsletter a brief preview of the coming Sunday’s choral anthem. I am in my second year of the Educating for Ministry course.
I served on Lowell Grisham’s “final vestry” prior to his retirement, and I was senior warden during the search for Lowell’s replacement and for Dennis Campbell’s interim rectorship.
Rob Lambert
My name is Rob Lambert and I’ve been an Episcopalian for 20 years. Most of that time was at Grace Episcopal Church in Siloam Springs, where I’ve had the privilege of serving on the vestry and teaching Sunday school. I grew up in Springdale and now live in Lowell with my wife, Candy, to whom I’ve been married for 15 years. We have a wonderful daughter, Simone, who keeps life joyful and full. I teach high school English in Rogers, where I love helping students connect with literature and discover their voices. Outside of work and church, I’m an avid runner and have completed several marathons. I also enjoy fly fishing, biking, and hiking.
Meisha Melton
Meisha Melton is a seasoned project and event manager with over 15 years of experience leading campaigns and initiatives for both non-profit organizations and award-winning advertising agencies. She currently serves as Senior Project Manager with Ippolito Media Arts, where she oversees major national campaigns, client relationships, and cross-functional creative projects.
Deeply rooted in Fayetteville, Meisha earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Arkansas and has been an active member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church since 2008, where she served as lead soprano for nearly two decades. She is also engaged in numerous community organizations, including the Fayetteville Junior Civic League, Sigma Alpha Iota, and the Happy Hollow PTO, where she holds leadership roles that reflect her commitment to service, collaboration, and community growth.
Outside of her professional and volunteer work, Meisha is happily married to her husband, Eric, and together they are raising two children, Magnolia (6) and Murphy (4).
Ryan Sheets
I’m very grateful to be nominated to serve as a vestry member this year. My family has been attending St. Paul’s since we moved to Fayetteville from Iowa in 2017. My wife, Jessica, and our children, Charles and Annemarie, previously attended the 8:45am service but have been attending the 9am service since it started this fall. For the past 4+ years, I have been a youth Sunday School teacher and completed the four-year Education for Ministry program in May 2024.
Outside of St. Paul's, I administer several initiatives at the university and have served as the treasurer of a regional professional organization for 6 years. I look forward to bringing these leadership, communication, and fiscal experiences to bear as a vestry member. What I like most about St. Paul's is that there are so many ways to serve and get involved: we are big enough that there's several opportunities and ways to find your own community but we're small enough in that everyone has to contribute in some way as best as they can. I look forward to serving as a vestry member and helping sustain and further these service and involvement opportunities so that others can enjoy them.
Lowell Taylor
My name is Lowell Taylor. I was born and raised in Little Rock, I came to Fayetteville for college, and I live in Springdale with my wife Rebecca and three kids – Titus (9), Josiah (6), and Emma (4) – now.
I work at a company called Harvest Group which helps suppliers grow their business at Walmart. I study at Fuller Seminary, and will graduate this year. I work at a non-profit called The Zacchaeus Foundation which is working for racial healing in Northwest Arkansas. And, I will run for justice of the peace in district 6 of Washington County, next year.
I spent the first thirty five years of my life in the evangelical church. Last year, I left, because I felt unable to follow Jesus and do justice there. This year, I joined the episcopal church, not because I think it is perfect, but because I think the seeds of justice have been planted here. Now, we get to work with God to water them, and ask God to make them grow.
I am thankful for how St. Paul’s has welcomed my children and I, and am hopeful to serve our church and community on the vestry, if elected.
Rolf Wilkin
I’ve been a member of St. Paul’s since 1995. I grew up in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana in the Episcopal Church, so this place has always felt like home. I love the tradition and warmth at St. Paul’s — it’s a welcoming community that means a lot to my family.
I served on the vestry around 2010 and spent some time as Junior Warden. My wife, Ceri, and I usually attend the Wednesday evening service, and our three grown kids were all baptized and confirmed here.
I run a few local businesses — Eureka Pizza (Dickson & Garland), PopUp Drink Thru in Bentonville, and Local Trade Partners, a barter exchange for local businesses — and I also own and manage commercial real estate. As a small business owner, I deal with planning and problem-solving every day, and I hope that experience will be useful as we work together to take care of St. Paul’s and keep it moving forward.